Adjustable reinforced molded inflator valve



Patented June 1, 1954 i UNITED STATES OFFICE ADJUSTABLE REINFORCED MOLDED INFLATIOR VALVE poration of Ohio Application July 30, 1951, Serial No. 239,333

9 Claims.

This invention relates to inflator valves, and particularly in inator valves as applied to collapsible rubber boats and the like.

The object of the invention is to improve the construction as well as the means and mode of operation of inflator valves, whereby they may not only be economically and easily manufactured and assembled, but will be more efficient and fool-proof in use, capable of being quickly operated, unlikely to get out of repair, and hav- 10 embodiment of the invention includes a body poring relatively few parts. tion i l made of a relatively soft rubber or rubber- An object of the invention is to provide an like material. The body H has aflange l2 of tapinflator valve in complete unit form ready for ered thickness to facilitate its being vulcanized installation in the article to be inated. or otherwise bonded to the article to be inflated. Another object of the invention is to construct The body l l is tubular in shape, having a through the valve with inexpensive, durable parts made bore i3 and a counterbore I4, the latter opening of a material having an anity for the material through what will be considered as the upper end of which the article to be inflated is made, for of the body Il. example, molded rubber. Seated in the bottom of the counterbore lll Afurther object of the invention is to make the is a cup-shaped metallic member l5 having a valve assembly corrosion and wear resistant, all vertical side wall i6 and a base l1, the latter the exposed parts being made of a molded plastic extending as a partition transversely across the material. bore l 3 and having a circular series of longitudi- Still another object of the invention is to intronal openings i8. At its center, the base partition duce a novel and eiective valve control in part il is slightly extruded to denne an elevated characterized by an arrangement providing for land i9. alternative opening means for the valve, and in Seated on the top of the body ll is a closure other part by the use of a resilient, deformable therefor1 or body extension 2l made of the same webbing or skirt on the valve for holding it yieldmaterial as the body. A fiat metallic ring 22 is ingly in closed position. molded in the extension 2l. A somewhat similar A further object of the invention is to provide ring 23 is molded in the body l l, the latter ring an inator valve possessing the advantageous having a portion parallel to the ring 22, lying structural features, the inherent meritorious near the top of the body, and also a dependent characteristics and the mode of operation herein sleeve portion which extends downward through mentioned. the body to achieve a strengthening result. A With the above primary and other incidental detachable connection between the body il and` objects in view as will more fully appear in the the extension 2l is accomplished through screw specification, the invention intended to be prostuds 2li which extend downwardly through the tected by Letters Patent consists of the features extension and have a screw threaded engage-- of construction, the parts and combinations ment with the ring 23 in the body ll. It will thereof, and the mode 0f operation, as hereinbe understood that on account of the residence after described 0r illustrated in the aeeompanvof the material of which the body al and extenng drawings, 0I' their equvalentssion 2| are made some slight relative axial Referring 'G0 the accompanying dlaWng, wherejustment therebetween is possible through tightin is found the preferred but obviously not necesening and loosening of the studs 24. sarily the only form of embodiment of the inven- The extension 2g provides a bore 25 aligned tion, with the body bore i3. At its upper end the wall Fig. 1 is a viewinlongitudinal section of a rst of bore 25 is imm-ned as a flange 25 which is embOdmf-nt 0f the inVentOn; constructed and arranged to grip a pressure uid Fig. 2 S a 13013 plan VeW Of the Valve 0f Fig. l; 50 discharge nozzle which may be inserted in the Fig. 3 isabottom plan View, partly broken away, bore 25. When the inflator valve is not in use of the valve of Fig. 1; the flange grips a removable cap or plug 2l which Fig. 4 is a top'plan view of the valve element of has a body portion to be received in the bore 25 Fig. 1; and a deformable hood 28 arranged to surround Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the valve ele- 55 and sealingly embrace the extension 2| at the ment of Fig. 1;

( Cl. IS7- 232) Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. l, showing a modified embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Figs. 1 and 6, showing another form of inlator valve in accordance with the instant invention.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

Referring to Figs. 1-5 of the drawings, an iniiator valve in accordance with this illustrative upper end of bore 25.

At its lower end the wall of bore 25 terminates in a rounded protruding portion 2S constituting a valve seat. Cooperable with the valve seat 29 is a valve disc 3| reciprocable in the counterbore i4 of the body l I. The disc 3l is made or" a rubber or rubber-like material. Molded integrally therewith are a skirt 32 on its lower surface and radial guide flanges 33 on its upper surface. The skirt 32 is made relatively soft and resilient and rests on the transverse partition Il in surrounding relation to the land le thereon. Its length and the relative axial position of adjustment of the body li and extension 2i are such that the skirt 32 tends normally to hold the valve disc 3| yieldingly on the seat 2B. Being relatively soft and deformable, however, the skirt 32 will allow the valve disc to be moved oir its seat under the force of pressure iiuid or positively applied pressure.

The radial guide flanges 33 have a sliding lit in a cylindrical portion of bore 25 so as to maintain the valve disc 3l parallel to the plane of the seat 2S. Being projected normally upward in the bore 25, the guide flanges 33 may also be utilized to present an abutment surface to a pressure fluid discharge nozzle. Thus, as a part of the operation by which the discharge nozzle is inserted in the bore 25, the nozzle may be made to act through the flanges 33 to move the valve disc 3l downwardly or to a disengaged position with respect to the valve seat 29. Alternatively, the valve disc may be unseated by the force of pressure fluid alone as admitted to the top thereof through the discharge nozzle. In either event, pressure fluid admitted to the valve assembly, flows around the valve disc 3l, through partition ll by way oi openings i8 therein and out the lower or inner end ci bore i3 to the interior of the article to be inilated. Upon discontinuance of the supply of pressure iiuid, the valvel disc 3l is returned to seated or closed position by a cornbination of the resilient action or" skirt 32 and back pressure applied through the lower end of bore i3.

The inilator valve assembly of Figs. 1 5 further includes a metallic liner member 34. This member has an approximately inverted cup shape with a central opening in the base corresponding to and aligned with the bore 2t. The side wall of the member 343 has a press iit in the oounterbore lll, outside member l5, and its base portion extends in intimately contacting conforming relation to the valve seat 29.

In Fig. 6 a modified form of the invention is disclosed. 'Ihe elements and mode of operation of this valve are identical to those of Figs. 15 except for a slightly different body portion. In the instance of Fig, 6, a body 35 is provided-which is the same as the body Il o Figs. 1 5 except that the attaching harige SS thereof occurs at the lower end of the body instead of at the upper end. Thus the whole of the valve assembly is on the surface of or outside the article to be inflated, instead of being partly within it asin the casein Fig. l.

The valve assembly of Fig. presents a somewhat modiiied concept wherein both the body and body extension are made smaller for an .overall reduction in size and wherein the liner member 3d of Fig. I is omitted. In thisinstance a body portion 3l' has an integral mounting` flange 36, a through bore 39. and counterbore lll, in the latter of which is installed a cup-shaped mem.- ber 42 corresponding to the member l5. of Eig. l.

A body extension 43Y is attached to thel top ofl body 3l, by screws M extending between respective integral strengthening members 'i5 and 4%. The body extension 43 has a through bore in the upper end of which is a detent flange el and the lower end of which is defined by a dependent sleeve i8 received in the cup member 512. The bottom of sleeve :i3 functions as a valve seat, being engageable by a half-round valve element 49 reciprocable in the counterbore ill. Guide flanges 5| are on the top of the valve 49 and a resilient deformable skirt e2 on the bottom thereof, the former serving the same dual pui'- pose as anges 33 of Fig. l and the latter performing the same function as skirt 32 of Fig. 1.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a d evice of the character described possessing the particular eatures of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modication in its torni, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more o1' less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise but one of several modes of putting the invention into effect.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. An inflator valve, including a tubular body made or a relatively soft molded plastic material, a tubular closure for said body made of a similar material and having a ilange overlying the end of said body, relatively stiff strengthening members molded in the material of said body and in the flange of said closure respectively, removable fastening devices extending between said strengthening members to hold said body and closure in assembled relation and adjustable to eiect a limited relative axial motion between said body and said closure, an annular projection on said closure protruding into the hollow int.. rior of said body to denne a valve seat, and a valve reciprocable in said body to engage and disengage said seat.

2. An inator valve, including a tubular bod-y assembly compris-ing first and second axially aligned -body portions made of a relatively soft plastic material, said second portion being of smaller bore than said iirst portionv and having at its inner end a circular valve seat and at its outer end an inturned flange to act as a seal and detent, a valve disc reciprocable in said first body portion toand from a positionv on said valve seat, a cup shaped metallic member installed in said rst body portion and presenting a perforate transverse partition wall spaced *from said valve seat, a skirt on said valve disc-made'ofa resilient deformable materialand resting on said partition `wall to thereby yieldingly holdsaid valve discupon said valve seat.

3. fin` inflator valve according to claim 2 characterized by a guide on said valve disc extending therefrom in opposed relation to said skirt and slidingly received in saidv second body portion.

4. An iniiator valve according to claim 2, characterized by a metallic liner member inserted in said rst body portion insurrounding relation to said cup-shapedmember and extending in intimately contacting conforming relation tosaid valve seat.

5. An inflator valve, including a tubular body assembly comprising rst and second axially aligned body portions made of a relatively soft plastic material, each of said body portions having an axial through bore, a counterbore forming a portion of one of said bores, a metallic member seated in said counterbore and presenting a perforate transverse partition wall, a valve disc reciprocable in said counterbore, a resilient skirt on said disc resting on said partition wall, a valve seat formed on the adjacent end of the other one of said bores, and means for making slight relative axial adjustments of said body portions to cause said valve seat to approach or withdraw from said partition wall.

6. An inator valve according to claim 5, characterized in that said last named means comprises interconnecting fastening devices adjustable to squeeze said body portions together with a varying intensity.

7. An inflator valve, including a tubular body portion made of a relatively soft, plastic material, a counterbore forming a portion of the bore in said body, a metallic member seated in said counterbore and presenting a perforate, transverse partition wall, a valve disc resting on said partition Wall, another body portion resting on the rst said portion and having a bore in alignment with the bore of the first said body portion, one end of which latter body portion protrudes into said counterbore and is formed with a valve seat engaged by said valve disc, said other body portion being made of a like material as said first body portion, and interconnecting means between said body portions adjustable to effect a greater or lesser compression of the material thereof and thereby to effect approaching and withdrawing motions of said valve seat relatively to said partition wall.

8. An inflator valve according to claim '7, characterized by an inturned flange at the other end of said bore defining a seal anda detent.

9. An inflator valve according to claim 8, characterized in that said other body portion is formed with an outturned ange overlying the rst said body portion and with a rst tubular portion extending outward and having said inturned ange formed therein. and with an oppositely disposed tubular portion received in said counterbore and forming said protruding end with said valve seat.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 244,468 McElroy July 19, 1881 1,758,625 Saul May 13, 1930 2,103,822 Perry Dec. 28, 1937 2,106,638 Hillier Jan. 25, 1938 2,106,671 Watson Jan. 25, 1938 2,355,862 Harper Aug. 15, 1944 2,387,433 Fenton Oct. 23, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 435,273 Great Britain Sept. 18, 1935 

